Bikes are a passion of mine. Cannot help falling in love with them. However I am no technical wizard when it comes down to bike mechanics. So my latest affair with a Raleigh Massif Mk I has been a long and drawn out one.

Isn’t Jimmy Cliff a legend by the way? Play out with him rather than Beyonce next time folks on the Pyramid stage please.

He is no longer with us but without his guidance I would be lost and out of love. His knowledge remains for all to read on his fantastic website http://sheldonbrown.com

Raleighs used to be the IBMs of their age. They are about as hard to work with as using a stone axe to wire up a satellite dish. The modern kit just does not fit on them. So I find myself looking at wierd chat rooms to find out how to replace the bike’s steering mechanism and also turning to good old Sheldon for pearls of wisdom on how to fit 12omm hubs into a 4 1/2 inch gap.